Oregon, 1000 Kilometers

Thursday 13 September 2007 19.12 EDT
First published on Thursday 13 September 2007 19.12 EDT

Oregon, one of the first jazz-sympathetic bands to embrace world music without compromising spontaneity or sources, will be 40 years old in 2010. The original quartet of unplugged virtuosi made a series of scintillating albums from 1970 to 1984 embracing jazz, classical, Asian and Native American material. Then its visionary percussionist Collin Walcott died in a road accident, and an unsteadier momentum since has included insinuations of a drift toward classy easy-listening.

1000 Kilometers (from the original surviving members plus drummer Mark Walker) doesn't exactly recapture their unique mellifluous dignity. But guitarist/pianist Towner's talents are still a big strength, and two-thirds of these pieces are his, from Latin swingers given the Oregon stamp by Paul McCandless's pure reeds tone, to the thoughtful title track. Two collectively generated pieces, richer in improvising, are the subtlest explorations of Oregon's special tonal palette, however.